Geese Are Always Trophies

By Kyle Wintersteen, Contributing Writer

The half dozen geese crested the oaks and slammed on the brakes, the drag of their primary feathers audibly slicing the crisp January air. So unexpected was their arrival that a few friends and I had but a meager spread of mallards arranged on the narrow, spring-fed Pennsylvania slough. But the geese—big, local Canadas exceedingly long in the wing—were coming anyway. They made a single pass with nary a honk and promptly landed 30 yards to our right before thumbs could reach safeties. My friend Jake Kraybill had never shot a goose and, as the birds had conveniently landed off his end, we encouraged him to shoot one. He decided to indulge us.

With a simple, “Hey geese!” Jake flushed the birds and dumped one.

Now, I’ve seen singles and the occasional pair of geese do dumb things, but none of us foresaw the next event: Rather than taking any number of easy escape routes, the five remaining birds turned and flew directly to our guns. No time to switch loads. We opened up on them at close range with Nos. 2 and 4, and soon we’d felled the lot of them. There was no hooting and hollering, as television hosts seem intent on convincing us is appropriate. For a moment all was silent. Smiles and a few chuckles ensued. We couldn’t believe our good fortune.

I’ve rarely just lucked into geese in that fashion, and even less commonly seen them act with such irrational panic. They are intelligent birds, far smarter than ducks and, I believe, at least equal in wits to the wild turkey—could a wary gobbler spot movement as well as a goose if it had to do so while circling a spread?

Geese, in general, require great effort to kill with consistency. It sounds simple: Find where they eat; find where they sleep; put out some decoys. But “feed” and “roost” sites are ever-changing, and there’s no substitute for hunters who know how to follow the birds and have the courage to knock on farmers’ doors. The best goose hunters are as good with a handshake as a short-reed call.

These days it seems more geese are shot over grain fields than anything else. Agriculture has helped fuel booming resident populations and tends toward more consistent, higher-volume shooting. But there’s something about hunting geese over water I more enjoy. In part because crops are a man-made habitat, but it also owes to the satisfying smack of a goose meeting water—a sound that convinces the soul that surely this is how God intended geese to be shot.

More often than not, geese confound me even when success seems imminent. So, I regard every goose taken within ethical bounds as a trophy, even those that perhaps should’ve gotten away. Such was the case on that cold morning when Jake shot his first goose. Per our tradition, he was required to haul all six birds out of the marsh. He loaded them into an under-sized duck strap, draped it over the back of his neck and began the long waddle. Never has a hunter smiled more proudly while weighted down by 70 pounds of Canada goose.

Did You Know?

To determine a gator's overall length, gauge the number of inches between its eyes and nose then assume a foot for every inch. For example, if the distance is 9 inches, it is a 9-foot gator. This is handy information considering many alligator hunts are charged by the foot.

The New Ram 1500 Express Hear the growl of the standard, proven 5.7L Hemi V8 that offers 20 hwy mpg and kicks out 390 hp – all starting at $22,855 (you won't get a Hemi® V8 for that low anywhere else). This is the new 2011 Ram 1500 Express. Your truck. Your terms. Check it out at ramzone.com.

There's Talk. And Then There's Truth. Ram trucks are powered by proven engines, such as the 6.7L Cummins® Turbo Diesel (available on Ram Heavy Duty and Chassis Cabs), and the 5.7L Hemi® V8 (available on Ram 1500 and 2500 HD). Plus, Ram 1500 delivers a five-link coil spring rear suspension, for a more comfortable without compromising capability. See the truth for yourself at ramtrucks.com

Anglers Rejoice – for Ram Outdoorsman: Ram Outdoorsman is purpose-built to help you reel in the big one. Equip its available RamBox® Cargo Management System with available Mopar holster and stow up to six fishing rods. Navigate your way to even the most remote pond with rugged, all-terrain tires and enhanced lighting. Want more? Check out the new Outdoorsman at ramtrucks.com.

*EPA estimated 20 highway mpg for Ram 1500 4x2 with available 5.7L Hemi V8. **See dealer for a copy of limited warranty. Hemi is a registered trademark of Chrysler Group LLC

Like the fossilized skeletons of its ancestors displayed in the Smithsonian, a 12-foot alligator can be scary even when it's dead—something that Shooting Illustrated's Adam Heggenstaller learned in person during a gator hunt in Florida. Read More »

Hear the growl of the standard, proven 5.7L Hemi V8 that offers 20 hwy mpg and kicks out 390 hp... Read More »

700

Weight, in pounds, of a mature bull elk

5 ft.

Height of a mature bull elk at the shoulders

4 ft.

Width and height of a bull's headgear

20%

Amount of body weight a bull loses during the rut

30-50

Number of wounds bulls suffer in fights during the rut

10-15

Pounds of vegetation consumed daily by elk

1,000%

Testosterone increase in a bull during the rut compared to spring and summer

fast fact

The cackling goose, a smaller-bodied goose prominent in Canada and Alaska, is a tundra-breeder with considerably more black plumage than the Canada. At one time, the cackling goose was considered the smallest subspecies of the Canada, but is now recognized as a separate species.